Kids Shining Brightly: Wilder Neff, Scout Out This Garden!

“Make the World a Better Place” is what every Girl Scout promises to do.

Wilder Neff, a member of Lodi Girl Scout Troop 1895, is on a mission to help local seniors have more opportunities to garden. The Silver Award is the highest award a Cadette-level Girl Scout can earn, and Wilder’s project for the award is to improve the LOEL Senior Center Community Garden in Lodi, California.

Over the years, the trees in the LOEL garden have grown large and shaded areas of the garden, limiting its productivity. Wilder is working with master gardeners to plot new locations for the existing planter boxes, disassemble and move them into spaces where they can be more fruitful for the senior gardeners. In addition, Wilder is designing and implementing a low-maintenance, useful area using the beautiful shady areas where the seniors can sit and enjoy the beautiful garden and California sunshine. Over the course of her project, Wilder has learned to use power tools, identify materials that are good for soil health, and understand why it is so important that the garden complies with ADA standards for accessible design.

To donate to Wilder’s Silver Award project, you can email her troop at lodigs1895@gmail.com. To help create the leaders of tomorrow, while growing girls of courage, character, and confidence today, contact Girl Scouts Heart of Central California at girlscoutshcc.org.